DETAILS
Experience the magic of Holland and Belgium as you sail aboard the charming riverboat Magnifique III. Your journey begins in Amsterdam with a walking tour and a visit to the famous Rijksmuseum, which houses masterpieces such as Rembrandt’s The Night Watch and Vermeer’s The Milkmaid. Then board the intimate Magnifique III, a boutique river vessel with just 21 cozy cabins. As you cruise along meandering rivers and canals, you’ll have the opportunity to admire the perfectly aligned Dutch windmills of Kinderdijk up close and visit Antwerp in Belgium to see the incredible Descent from the Cross by Rubens. A curator will join you for a special tour of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, which reopened in 2022 after a $100 million, 11-year renovation. In Ghent, you’ll explore the city’s beautiful Saint Bavo’s Cathedral and marvel at its most spectacular treasure, the Van Eyck brothers’ Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, also known as the Ghent Altarpiece. Your adventure ends in the fairytale city of Bruges, where you’ll go behind the scenes of an authentic medieval estate and see Michelangelo’s celebrated Madonna and Child in the Church of Our Lady.
- Pricing from
- $6,499
- Trip Type
- Group Travel Tour, International River Voyages
- Departure Dates
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May 27, 2024 - Jun 4, 2024
Launched in 2018 as a beautiful passenger barge, Magnifique III features 21 contemporary cabins. The upper deck has five spacious suites (172 sq.ft.) with two separate single beds, a small sitting area, and a “French balcony” featuring ceiling-to-floor sliding-glass doors. The lower deck has fourteen beautiful twin cabins (129 sq.ft.) with two separate single beds and two single cabins. The upper deck has a large, tastefully furnished salon with a restaurant area, a nice bar, and a lounge area with cozy sitting corners, a wide screen TV, and large panoramic windows. On the top deck, the barge has a whirlpool/Jacuzzi and some deckchairs to relax and enjoy the scenery while cruising.
TOUR MAP
ITINERARY
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day 1
Depart on an overnight flight to Amsterdam.
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day 2
AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND / EMBARK MAGNIFIQUE III
Arrive in Amsterdam and transfer for a canal cruise with lunch on board. Then visit Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, the State Treasury of Dutch art, for an inside look at the largest-ever exhibition devoted to painter Johannes Vermeer. Embark Magnifique III, and enjoy a welcome dinner as we cruise to Vianen.
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day 3
VIANEN / KINDERDIJK / DORDRECHT
This morning, travel to picturesque Kinderdijk, a village famous for its impressive UNESCO-listed row of 19 large windmills, a delight to see up close. Continue to a unique country estate, surrounded by one of the oldest English landscape gardens in the area (pending confirmation). Rejoin the ship in Dordrecht, one of the Netherlands’ oldest cities.
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day 4
DORDRECHT / ANTWERP, BELGIUM
Step ashore for a guided tour of Dordrecht’s historic harbors, ancient warehouses, and busy merchant streets. Continue to Antwerp, a city renowned for its medieval and modern architecture and impressive art collections. Following lunch, see the cathedral where Rubens’s famous Descent from the Cross is on display. Then admire the treasures of the Museum Mayer van den Bergh, whose collection includes Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s Mad Meg. Alternatively, admire the world’s oldest printing presses at the UNESCO-listed Museum Plantin-Moretus, a Renaissance-era publishing house and one of the most significant landmarks in the history of the book, printing, and entrepreneurship.
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day 5
ANTWERP / SINT-NIKLAAS/ SINT-AMANDS
Start your day at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, which has undergone an extensive renovation. Continue to Sint-Niklaas, a tiny city near the birthplace of the
16th-century cartographer Gerardus Mercator. Discover how he changed the course of history when you visit the Mercatormuseum, which has preserved two of his priceless globes. This evening, rejoin the ship in Sint-Amands and enjoy a private concert onboard. -
day 6
SINT-AMANDS / GHENT
n the morning, cruise or bike to Ghent. After lunch, enjoy a tour through the city’s medieval center, including the magnificent Saint Bavo’s Cathedral. View its greatest treasure, the restored 15th-century Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (Ghent Altarpiece) by the Van Eyck brothers, and take a tour of its dedicated museum in the cathedral. Dinner is at leisure.
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day 7
GHENT / BRUGES
Begin your day with a visit to Ghent’s Museum of Fine Arts. Continue to Bruges, a medieval gem laced with canals and gardens, where the ship remains docked overnight, and delight in a visit to the private garden of a distinguished Belgian landscape architect. This evening, you may wish to join an optional stroll to see Bruges’s medieval buildings illuminated.
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day 8
BRUGES
Enjoy a morning visit to the Adornes Domain, an authentic medieval estate in the heart of Bruges, followed by light refreshments (pending confirmation). Then discover the collections at the Hans Memling Museum, housed in Saint John’s Hospital. After lunch at leisure, you may enjoy a free afternoon. You can also choose to visit the Church of Our Lady and see its celebrated Madonna and Child and/or the Groeninge Museum, with its works by Jan van Eyck and other great Flemish artists. Gather this evening for a festive farewell dinner.
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day 9
BRUGES / DISEMBARK / BRUSSELS / RETURN
Disembark after breakfast, and transfer to the Brussels airport for flights home.
Everything you need to know about the tour
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